Hero
by Ki-nee-chan
Summary: A young purrloin is separated from his mother and the comforts of home. As he journeys through a city looking both high and low he discovers the cost of surviving in the big city, as well as the cruelty and warmth of everyone he meets. One-shot, please R&R.


Hero

I opened my eyes, and noticed that a beam of morning sunlight warmed my back. It was so nice and cozy, just being sprawled out along the soft, white carpet, I closed my eyes in hope of falling asleep again. I held them tightly shut, breathed slowly and just focused on the warmth for several minutes. My hope was in vain. I was awake and my tummy was feeling a little empty.

With a soft sigh I stood and stretched, nothing beats the feeling of an arched back after a long nap. My silent steps on the carpet clacked on the blue tile in the kitchen as I made a beeline for the bowl of food Mama always keeps out for me. I only took a couple of bites before I was tired of the crunch, why is it my snacks are always so hard to eat? Lucky me, Mama's not in the kitchen-she'd surely lecture me if she caught me again- as I took a couple little bits of my snack and dropped in my bowl of water. I watched them float for several moments, as they started to sink I'd attempt to fish them out, they tasted so much better after getting a little mushy.

"I thought I heard you scrapping that poor bowl again," Mama sighed. I pretended not to notice and continued to fish my food out of the bowl and Mama just stood by, watching my every move. Once I had my fill and started to walk out of the kitchen Mama grumbled, "Do you have to do this every single time you eat?" shortly thereafter the sink hissed with fresh water.

I had better things to do then listen to Mama complain so I hopped into the front window. the street is usually fairly quiet, clear of people, except when the night begins to fall and the sun starts to rise. For some reason those seem to be the only times anyone journeys to or from their homes, and that includes Papa.

Though there is one exception to the rule, and here he comes now! I pressed my face against the cold glass and my heart beat quickly as he walked up the couple short steps to our porch, he approached the door.

Then it happened.

I don't understand why it happens but whenever someone gets close to our door a loud ringing fills the house. It was too scary, I couldn't stay at the window, I had to jump down and run as fast as I could into the living room where Mama was.

Mama was walking towards the door when I found her. "Mama!" I cried.

In one arm she clenched the over-sized stick she always held, the other she reached out towards me as she leaned over. She straightened back up and walked to the door while carrying me. She reached the door, there was this strange click followed then a cold gust of wind hitting my face and Mama held me tighter. "Hi Jimmy," Mama called.

"Hello Mrs. Winsor," The man smiled as he held up a bunch of papers, "Looks like your hands are full today." He commented, motioning towards me. I gripped Mama's sweater tighter. "Cute purrloin. How old?"

"6 weeks," Mama smiled as she moved the shoulder that I clung too towards the man.

"Pick a name?"

"Clyde."

The man laughed at my name, how _dare_ he! Mama took the stack of papers in the hand that had been holding the stick, waved, and closed the door. Now that it was safe I started motioning for Mama to put me down and sure enough she did.

Mama can't walk very fast so I sat by the door and watched her enter the living room before I followed. Mama can't bend very fast so she sat in slow motion. She was attempting to sit when I entered the living room and had almost finished sitting by the time I was on the sofa beside her.

She placed the paper on the small table beside the sofa and exchanged it for my ribbon. I hopped to my feet and prepared to pounce. She dangled the ribbon in front of my face, only to pull it away when I struck. We repeated this until finally I was able to take the smooth ribbon between my claws and sink my teeth into its flimsy flesh. I kicked and rolled until that ribbon was _very_ well beaten, only to realize Mama was laughing at me and I couldn't move anymore... The ribbon had beaten me! It had tangled around all my feet but thankfully Mama was already starting to untangle me.

Once free from that evil ribbon I decided this time I would win the round and engaged again in our long standing war while Mama put on glasses and brought the papers Jimmy had given her close to her face.

I tired from fighting the endless battle with the ribbon and feel asleep next to Mama's warm lap. I didn't even notice when Mama had left my side and re-entered the kitchen until Papa woke me up. He forcefully grabbed me by the back of my neck and carried me into the kitchen, "Mama!" I screamed. Being carried like this didn't hurt, but it was scary and I couldn't do anything other than scream for help.

In the kitchen Mama stood over a warm pot and looked towards Papa and I. "Honey, you're scaring Clyde. Hold him gentler, he doesn't like being held by his scruff."

"He was on the sofa again!" Papa growled.

"He's a Purrloin. They get onto the furniture." If wrinkles didn't obscure most of Mama's eyes I could have probably seen them roll.

"He is turning the sofa purple!" Papa yelled.

"Your fault for picking a white sofa, and besides aren't you going to complain that he's turning out white carpets purple too?" Mama laughed, while she stirred the warm pot.

"I am!" Papa growled, he finally put me down and I ran away to the edge of the kitchen. I watched them continue to fight as they do every day before finally leaving and hopping into the window sill.

I spent my night locked out of Mama and Papa's room so I played in the living room and kitchen all night, chasing this great little ball that had a couple of thin, tasty feathers attached. Come morning I was so tired I feel asleep on the floor where a beam of light would soon peak through and warm me like I imagine a blanket would.

The days repeat, pretty much exactly the same, it's warm and cozy but very happy.

On a day like any other I was sitting in the window when I noticed Jimmy walking towards the house. I ran to the door and prepared for the loud ringing, and sure enough, once Jimmy reached the door the house filled with ringing and Mama was at the door side in a moments time. "Mama…. Pick me up." I asked.

Mama looked at me, leaned over and picked me up, "Don't you run out the door now…" she gently whispered.

I wonder why she worries about that, I have interest in going outside. The cold wind hit my face as Mama opened the door.

"Hi Mrs. Winsor, Clyde," he smiled towards us.

"Good morning Jimmy."

"Do you think Clyde will let me pet him today?" He laughed.

"You can only try," Mama laughed.

Jimmy reached his hand towards Mama and I, then I clenched her sweater and growled. He needs to keep his hands away from Mama.

"Another failure," Jimmy laughed, pulling his hand away from Mama. He then handed Mama a pile of papers again. They waved , Jimmy walked off the porch and Mama finally shut the door. We headed to the living room together, we played for a little bit before I feel asleep.

I woke up from my mid-afternoon nap earlier than normal. Mama was still beside me, but she was hunched over strangely, her breathing was hard, her face was red, she was soaking with sweat but her body against mine felt cold. "Mama?" I asked, gently placing my front paws on her leg and looking up to her face, her eyes had become so large and so bright I could finally see that she had green eyes, "Mama?" I asked again, my voice starting to break up. I reached up and patted her shoulder, she was shaking and chocking. "Mama!" I screamed gently patting her face. I then hopped off mama and the sofa, Mama needed help.

My ears caught a strangled cry from Mama.

I ran to the door, I had seen her open it several times but I never cared enough to look and see how she did it. I reached up and scratched at the gap between the door and the wall, I scratched and kicked. "Help!" I screamed again and again. Nothing happened, little scraps of paper peeled from the wall, flecks of wood caught under my claws and splinters pierced my paws. I kept at it, ripping more and more of the door and wall apart, soon enough it had to open, it just had to.

Finally my paws were swollen, wood splinters caused little drops of blood to litter the tattered door and stain the white floor. My voice had gone raw from my screaming. I walked back into the living room, defeated, Mama had fallen over and she lied on the sofa, she no longer looked pained but it really hurt to see her like this. I don't understand. I licked her short white hair near her forehead. She didn't move or make a noise. I nuzzle myself against her and her body was rigid. Mama still needs help.

I worked my determination up and continued to rip at the door. The light in the house darkened as the sun set, there wasn't a single light Mama had always turned on glowing, not a single noise filled the house except my horse yelling and attempts to open the door.

There was a click of the door from the other side, I jumped back as Papa swung the door open. "Papa!" I cried out weakly.

He glanced at me, the damage around me, picked me up by my scruff and briskly walked through the house. He entered the kitchen, his room, and then finally the living room where he saw Mama sleeping. He dropped me and ran towards her. He gently placed his hand on her neck and held it there for several seconds. Tears gathered in his eyes and he kissed Mama's forehead. Papa grabbed and object from the opposite side of the room, walked back towards Mama and held her hand as he spoke into the object.

A not to long after strange men I had never seen entered out home without ringing the door bell, reached out living room. "Are they here to help Mama?" I asked Papa, he just ignored me and stared at Mama. One of the two new men placed his hand on Mama's neck the way Papa had before shaking his head. "What does that mean?" I asked, again Papa didn't even look my way. The new men placed a long black bag beside Mama. "Papa, what is the bag for?"

They started putting Mama in the bag.

"Why are you putting Mama in a bag!?" I screamed.

They began to close the bag.

"Aren't you here to help Mama? What are you trying to do to her? How can she breath in a bag?" I screamed my questioned at the two men, running toward them. They too, ignored my questions. And they finished closing the bag with Mama and placed her on a thin moving bed. They lifted it up and started carrying Mama out of the house, "Don't take Mama!" I screamed, somehow I had found my voice again. "MAMA!"

Papa followed them to the door, the men both shook Papa's hand and they exchanged words, but I didn't listen, I just starred at the bag that Mama was in. Once they had left Papa walked to the living room, sat on the sofa and sighed, he rocked himself on the sofa and repeated a single word: "Why?" I just watched Papa.

Where did they take Mama, why is Papa confused? What happened to Mama? I wanted to ask Papa but my words never seemed to reach his ears.

"You…." He whispered, I just tilted my head in response. "You…" He growled a little stronger. "You…. You, You, You, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOUYOUYOU**YOU**!" He screamed, standing to his feet pointing at me, his face was turning the same shade Mama's was before she fell asleep. I took a step back.

He reached towards me and grasped the back of my neck roughly, "Ow," I yelped.

"What good are you?!" He scream. "You could have saved her! Instead you just destroyed my door, stained this house with your blood!" he shock me a couple times. I just shut my eyes and waited for the shaking to stop. "You were _her_ purloin! You were _her_ Pokémon! A Pokémon is supposed to save their owners, why didn't you?!"

The shaking stopped and Papa started walking through the house with heavy, quick steps. There was a click and the cold wing hit my face.

He was holding me, facing the outside. Then with a smooth motion he swung me back, twisted his wrist, and flung me, backwards, into the outside.

I landed in a pile of something cold and white, it was hard to move, but I managed to dig out of the cold substance to face papa as he growled, "Don't come back here!"

"Papa….?" I weakly asked as the door slammed shut.

I stayed outside the door, my voice to weak to keep yelling, and just waited for Papa to open the door. All sunlight has vanished and with the darkness the air got very cold. I had never experienced such cold that made the air in front of my face continually turn white. I paced back and forth on the porch, avoiding the patch of the cold-white thing, trying to stay warm.

Eventually the sun rose, but Papa didn't leave the house at the usual time. The wind had started to pick up making the cold air even worse. I hid under the porch.

Finally, Jimmy started walking up the steps. "Jimmy!" I yelled and ran towards him.

"Woah, Clyde, how did you get out? I'm sure Mrs. Winsor must be worried sick about you," he reached out towards me. I recoiled slightly, but didn't stop him. He gently placed his hand on the back of my head and rubbed, it was the warmest thing I had felt since going outside. He motioned to pick me up, and I let him.

I watched him press a small button and the ringing of the house followed. So _that's _how he had done that all this time. A couple moments latter Papa opened the door. "Hello Jimmy," Papa sighed, his baggy eyes looked strangely red and the wrinkles sagged deeper into his skin then I had ever noticed.

"Mr. Winsor? It's rare to see you home at this time of day? How are you?" Jimmy asked politely.

"Louise died last night," Papa stated flatly, "Heart attack."

Jimmy's body felt strangely limp. What did 'died' mean? "I…. I'm…" Jimmy struggled to form words.

"Louise enjoyed your visits and watching you grow up, the wake's tonight. Feel free to stop by, have a couple beers," Papa had no tone in his voice.

"I'll do that," Jimmy handed the papers in his hands to Papa, "Somehow, Clyde must have snuck out in all the confusion. I think Mrs. Winsor would be heartbroken if anything happened to him." Jimmy gently moved his arm that I was sitting on towards Papa, motioning for Papa to grab me.

"Consider him yours then," Papa growled and shut the door in our faces.

"Huh?" Jimmy looked down on me then back at the door. "Mr. Winsor! My apartment

won't let me have Pokémon!"

Papa didn't respond.

"Sorry," Jimmy picked me up and looked squarely into my eyes, "I really can't have any Pokémon at my apartment. Good luck Clyde." And then Jimmy put me down and walked off as though nothing had happened.

"Fine! Fine then! I'll just go find where they took Mama and I'll go be with her!" I huffed at his receding figure.

I trotted down the street in the direction the strange men's vehicle had gone but after reaching the first intersection I realized, I had no idea which way it had gone. Oh well.

I turned down streets, little cracks between buildings, hopped onto fences to get a better view, finally I found a group of humans. "Hey!" I called to them , hopped from the fence and ran closer to them.

"Woah, What's a purrloin doing here?" One of the asked.

"Maybe it wants to be caught," another one laughed.

"You idiot, this is a residential area I bet it's a pet," the third dismissed.

"I'm looking for Mama. Do you know where they would have taken her?" I asked as politely as I could.

"I seriously think it wants to be caught," the laughing human stated.

"I don't understand: 'being caught.' I just want to know where Mama is."

"I found some rocks!" The first one to speak stated while holding small stones.

"What do rocks have to do with Mama?" I asked, watching them distribute the rocks between themselves.

"You guys are idiots, don't do that to someone's pet," the dismissive one waved her hand sideways at the others.

"Aw come on, just a little bit of practice if we ever go to a safari zone," the laughing one chuckled, juggling a couple small stones in his hands.

"Safarizone…. Is that where they took Mama?" I looked up at the one that laughs, but suddenly there was a pain in my back thigh. I jumped, turned and noticed once of the rocks beside me. The human that had first spoken must have thrown it at me, "That wasn't very nice!" I growled.

"Ooooo look it's looking wearily at you!" the laughing one shouted before a rock from his direction hit my tail.

"Ow!" I shouted and ran back towards the fence. I could hear the dismissive human yelling at the other two but I didn't want to be near them anymore.

I ran through several small cracks, once I was sure the humans were far away I paused to catch my breath. Once I had calmed down my stomach growled, I hadn't eaten anything in a while.

I allowed my nose to pick the direction I followed until I reached a dark gap between buildings, big enough for humans to fit, but not nearly large enough for a vehicle, the ground was completely covered in the cold-white substance but something smelled like I could eat it so I braved the cold.

Black bags on the ground, next to gray containers holding more of the black bags, they all emitted a strange, nose curling smell, but I was so hungry it didn't stop me from walking towards it. I placed my claws into the thin plastic and opened the bag. If I thought the smell was bad when it had been trapped within the bag the force of the smell coming through the hole was eye watering. Ignoring my eyes I looked into the bag and noticed meat, lots and lots of meat that had turned green. Ignoring the strange color I one of the pieces out, the one that had the most white that I could find and started nibbling on the white sections. For some reason it tasted better and had less of the green on it.

After almost finishing my first piece the was a low toned voice behind me, "LEAVE."

I jumped and turned to see a Pokémon, the first other Pokémon I have ever seen but somehow I could tell he was a Pokémon. "Sorry?" I responded, unsure what to say. He stood on two feet, it looked as though he was wearing baggy yellow pants and his orange skin was exposed on his upper body, though his chest was black and on top his head was a red ring sticking up into the air.

"Don't apologize, leave." He growled.

"Um…. Have you seen Mama?" I asked.

"I don't associate with un-owned Pokémon and my owner wants you out of her alley. LEAVE."

"I have an owner! Mama! But I don't know where she is!" I cried at the Pokémon.

"I don't care," he hopped a couple of times before jumping at me with his foot stretched towards me.

"Ah!" I screamed and ran from the alley, there was a noisy crash behind me.

Outside the alley again I ran, I ran and ran until the sun began to set.

I found a large space without any buildings and strange metal structures randomly placed around. The ground was again covered in white, but I was able to ignore it. There were human foot prints, but smaller than average footsteps, every which way I looked.

There was a round tube on the ground, large enough for a small human to crawl through, it had a couple holes through its top but for the most part it was dry and the wind didn't reach inside of it. I walked in, curled into a ball to keep myself warm and feel asleep thinking of Mama. I slept deeply, to the point I forgot it was cold.

When I opened my eyes there was a strange human chant outside my tube. "Kick the ginger!" The several young, male voices shouted, again and again.

The sun had risen behind the group and it was hard to make out their silhouettes, but there was five of them, each kicking something in the center of their group.

Slowly I walked around the group, not a single one of them noticed me, I could see what they were kicking, a young female that had curled into a ball. With my back to the sunlight I could make out each and every boy kicking the girl. How can they do this to her?

She made a strangled cry in between the boy's kicks.

It sounded a lot like Mama's before she fell asleep that day.

I growled as loudly as I could, the boys stopped kicking the girl, "Stop!" how I wish I could bark.

All the boys laughed. "A purrloin! A purrloin!" they pointed.

One kicked the girl again, "Look! A purrloin's going to save you!"

I growled louder. And the boys broke out in laughter.

I launched at the boy that had just kicked the girl and scratched his face.

The boys jumped and started grabbing the white stuff off the ground and flinging it at me. I dodged most of them, these humans had no finesse with their attacks, and I'm sure the blinding sun behind me was the large reason. I jumped and landed on the face of one of the other boys, I scratched his face, then again, then again, I wanted to get as many scratches on his face before he managed to peel me off and fling me against the ground.

Now the boys had their back to the sunlight, they had again turned into hard to focus forms. The surrounded me. One grabbed the back of my neck and held me down the other lifted his foot behind him. I shut my eyes tightly, preparing to be kicked.

"Ah!" the boy about to kick me screamed. I looked up to see blood dripping down his check.

What? I looked for where that had come from. The small girl held several balls out of the white stuff but something was different about them, they were shiny.

"She's throwing ice!" the boy hold me shouted. Only to get nailed between the eyes with an ice ball. The boy staggered back, releasing me

I jumped up and attacked again, starching the last to be hit with anything boy, and the young girl kept pelting them with ice balls until they ran away screaming.

I growled at the retreating boys until I heard a sudden, loud crunch. Still in fight mode I turned, ready to pounce, but it was the girl, she had fallen on her side, breathing roughly.

Exactly the way Mama had.

I ran up to the girl, "Are you okay?" I asked, looking at her face. It was strangely distorted, red in some areas and quickly turning blue in others. Her hair looked like an orange fire against the white and she looked at me with open green eyes.

"You're amazing," she whispered, she looked like she wanted to smile but couldn't. she reached out her hand and gently stroked my back. "Thank you." She slowly shuffled on the ground and kissed my forehead. She sighed and lied back down, all while stroking my fur. "I don't like snow, it's cold." She grumbled.

Snow, is that what this white stuff is called, I looked down at the ground. If she didn't like it why was she lying in it? Could she not walk? I nuzzled her shoulder gently.

"Ow, I got kicked there." She grumbled and I immediately pulled back. She sighed again and grunted as she slowly got back to her feet and kneeled beside me. "Are you lonely?" she asked.

"I don't know lonely, but I miss Mama and I'm cold."

She picked me up and got back to her feet, all while looking me in the eye. Once she stood she asked again, "Do you have a name?"

"I'm Clyde."

"No?" She smiled, "Then you give me no choice but to name you!"

"I said I have a name, it's Clyde," she clearly wasn't understanding a single word I was saying to her.

"I think I'll name you 'Hero.' Well, Hero, would you like to come home with me?"

"My name's Clyde," I sighed.

She hugged me tightly, "Okay, let's go home Hero." She slowly limped across the snow, but I finally felt warm pressed against her.

_A/N: So this was inspired by Sonixawesome's story Lighting Fang. It's about a Cubone who's mother was taken from him, then he was caught only to have the trainer abandon him in Viridian Forest. Very nice and touching. (And before you all start ripping me for copying our stories are very different, it's just a similar circumstance that came from different situations and had different outcomes! 'kay?!)_

_I wanted this to start out very plain, but warm and comfortable to contrast the cold of the rest of story. The reason why a lot of details are skipped is because why would a baby purrloin know what a phone is, or care what humans other than 'Mama' look like. Though I apologize for the length being so long, but I wanted to make it a one-shot, not two chapters so I did cut a couple things out… _

_Oh and the name Clyde was picked to emphasis the difference between before and after, Clyde came from Bonnie and Clyde, a great bank robber couple from the 1930's. The idea to name him after a thief came from Purrloins pokedex entry that they are thieves that just try to act cute. _

_I hope you enjoyed reading please leave a review, let me know what I could do better. _


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